Caster-equipped coasting board



Mamh 1967 M. B. CQLLINS CASTER-EQUIPPBD COASTING BOARD Filed April 30, 1965 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,310,319 Patented Mar. 21, 1967 3,310,319 CASTER-EQUIPPED COASTIN G BOARD Max B. Collins, P.0. Box 44, Cochran, Ga. 31014 Filed Apr. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 452,073 Claims. (Cl. Z8087.04)

The present invention relates to a caster-equipped toy, more particularly, a rigid flat-faced board or panel similar to currently popular skate-boards and the like and has to do with an adaptation which is unique in that it is uniquely designed and structurally adapted for standing, kneeling, and squatting use by youngsters, for example, much in the manner that children use wheeled or similarly mobile coasting platforms.

Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the present invention relates are aware that skate roller boards are in widespread use and currently quite popular. Then, too, similarly constructed and performing coaster boards are old and well known as exemplified, for example, in a patent to Thomas 1,327,123 and a similarly constructed and performing toy-type coaster disclosed in Boydens Patent 3,123,022.

An objective of the present contribution to the art is to improve upon prior art rollable coasting boards, panels and platforms and, in so'doing, to provide an adaptable contribution to the art which, it is submitted, will better serve the purposes for which these amusing and exercising devices are customarily used. T o the ends desired, the rollers or wheels take the form of casters. Four casters are utilized and are arranged at the corner portions of the underneath side of a substantially square board, one which is ample in area that the user can stand, kneel, squat or lie on the same and can, when properly trained, stand on his head or hands, as the case may be.

More particularly, the present concept pertains to a novel construction and arrangement wherein the casters on the front or leading marginal edge of the board or panel are swivelly mounted but are steerable, the two casters on the rear being connected to fixed or stationary brackets in line, of course, with the respectively cooperative front wheels.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the steerable front wheels or casters are joined for simultaneous operation by a tie rod and can be controlled to function in unison by way of flexible elements such as, for example, ropes having ends connected to the tie rod and having their other ends connected to a pair of hand-held and regulated steering and propelling sticks.

Novelty is also predicated on an exercising and amusing mobile board wherein facilities are provided on the underneath side thereof for detaching certain of the component parts whereby to permit all four casters to swivel freely and to permit maneuverability in proportion to the skill and ability of the user.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in bottom plan of a caster-equipped board constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing significant components or parts of the steering action, control ropes or cords and also (in phantom lines) how certain of the links are put aside and stored in an out-of-the-way position when not being used;

FIGURE 2 is a front edge elevation of the casterequipped board shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective on a smaller scale showing the device and how it is constructed and, as a matter of fact, used by the rider; and

at 16 and 18, respectively.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing, on an amply large scale, the manner in which a plurality of common screw eyes are attached and specially arranged on the underneath side of the board or panel and which, in conjunction with coil springs, are employed to store the detachable link-like components or parts.

Referring now to the views of the drawing with the aid of reference numerals and lead lines the platform comprises a wooden or equivalent board which, instead of being relatively long and rectangular as are skate board, skate-roller-scooters and the like, is substantially square and in fact of ample area that it can be stood on and occupied in many different ways as suggested, for instance, in FIG. 3. The fiat underneath or bottom side of the board or panel is denoted by the numeral 6 and the top side by the numeral 8, the board or panel itself being denoted by the numeral 10'. One marginal edge constitutes the front or leading edge and this is denoted at 12 in FIG. 3. The opposite or trailing edge is denoted at 14 and the opposite left and right side edges are denoted The board or platform is provided near the front edge and inwardly thereof and somewhat centrally with a pair of guide holes one of which is denoted by the numeral 19 and the other one by the numeral 20.

Referring now to FIG. 1 in particular, it will be seen that suitable plate-like brackets 22 are secured to the respective corner portions and function to support the front casters 24. The roller 26 in each instance is mounted on a yoke which is swivelly mounted at 28 on the plate or bracket. Each roller; that is, the roller itself is provided with a bolt and nut 32 providing an axle arrangement which in turn is provided with an adapter 30'. The adapter 30 is attached thereto and is twisted intermediate its ends to cooperate with a notched portion of a brace 34 also carried by the axle.

The adapters 30 serve to accommodate a flat rigid bar-like connecting member which is here designed as a tie rod 36 bolted at its respective ends as at 38 to the adapters whereby to thus interrelate and simultaneously steer both swivelly mounted casters 24. The median portion of the tie rod is provided with cable holes 40 and 41. These holes serve to accommodate snap fasteners 42 and 43 which are detachably connected thereto and carried by end portions of the two cables 44 and 45. The end portions 46 and 47 are connected to. the snap fasteners thus linking the cables or ropes with the tie rod for steer ing control results. The upper end portionsof the cables denoted at 48 and 4? are connected as at 50 to median portions of their respective pushing and controlling sticks the one at the left (FIG. 3) being denoted at 52 and the one at the right in the same figure being denoted at 54. Each stick is of cane-like construction and comprises a came 56 with a rubber hand-grip 58 at the upper end and with a rubber antiskid tip 60 at the lower end. These canes or sticks are held in the hands of the occupant or user when the board or platform is occuplied in a standing position as shown in FIG. 3. With the aid of these canes 54 or sticks and the cables 44 and 45 the occupant can controllably steer the respective swivelly mounted casters 24. The manner in which this control action is achieved is believed to be apparent (FIGS, 1 to 3). The rear corner casters are conveniently distinguished by the numeral 62. There is one at the corner 64 and the other one at the corner 66. Mounting brackets 68 are provided and, in order to maintain the two casters parallel and against movement, a connecting link 70 is provided. This link comprises a flat rigid strap 72 having laterally directed ends 74 bolted at 76 to the axle portions of the casters thus maintaining the casters in relatively stationary fixed relationship (FIG. 1). It follows that the trailing casters are stationary but with the front pair of casters ready to swivel and controllable by Way of the tie rod or link 3-6 and cane actuated cables the occupant (FIG. 3) can achieve spectacular riding, exercising and fun-provoking results.

Then, too, it is within the purview of the invention to completely remove the components which facilitate rigging the device with canes and cables. This is to say, the adapter-equipped link 36 can be removed and stored away in the manner shown in FIG. 4. This is also true of the connecting link 79. In other words, the end portions of these links are first unbolted and are then stored underneath the retaining coil spring 76 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. To do this, several oriented and cooperating screw eyes 78, 79 and 80 are provided at the respective ends of the links. The screw eyes are so arranged in spaced apart relationship with the coil spring connected at one end to the eye 78 and at the opposite end to an anchoring screw eye 81 that the thus assembled and anchored screw eyes provide, in conjunction with the coil springs 76, suspending and storing means for the two parts 36 and 70. When these parts are stored as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1, it will be evident that the front and rear casters are free to swivel in any and all directions; that is, in a horizontal plane about the vertical turning axis. It follows that the invention is usable with or without the control cables and canes or sticks 52 and 54.

It is believed that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of the invention. Accordingly, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device of the class described comprising a rigid platform having generally flat parallel top and bottom surfaces and having forward and rearward corner portions, a pair of casters swivelly mounted on the underneath side adjacent the forward corner portions, and a complemental pair of casters swivelly mounted on the reaward corner portions, rigid means for selectively and optionally joining the rearward casters to each other when it is desired to prevent swivelling thereof, additional means faces and having forward and rearward corner portions, a pair of casters swivelly mounted on the underneath side adjacent the forward corner portions, and a complemental pair of casters swivelly mounted on the rearward corner portions, rigid means for selectively and optionally joining the rearward casters to each other when it is desired to prevent swivelling thereof, additional means connecting the forward casters to each other and serving to swivel the same simultaneously, said last-named means comprising a tie rod having adapter brackets at its ends detacha'bly bolted to axle portions of the respectively associated casters, and a pair of flexible cables passing at end portions through holes provided therefor in said platform and having free end portions connected to longitudinally spaced portions ofsaid tie rod, and a pair of cane-like propelling members provided at upper ends with handgrips, adjacent end portions of said cables being connected to median portions of said canes.

3. A toy-like device comprising a substantially square rigid platform having an underneath fiat side provided a forward left and right corners with a pair of freely turnable swivelly mounted casters, provided at rearward left and right corner portions with a second pair of swivelly mounted casters, a rigid link parallel to the underneath side of said platfornrand having laterally directed ends, said link interposed between the axle portions of the coacting casters and being detachably bolted thereto and capable of being removed when not in use and stored on holding means provided therefor on the underneath side of said platform.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 and a rigid link constituting a tie-rod, brackets hingedly connected to the respective ends of said tie rod, and means detachably connecting said brackets to hub portions of the adjacent coacting casters.

5. The structure defined in claim 3 and a rigid link constituting a tie rod, brackets hingedly connected to the respective ends of said tie rod, and means detachably connecting said brackets to hub portions of the adjacent coacting casters, said tie rod being provided intermediate its ends with longitudinally spaced snap fasteners having cable-ends connected thereto and passing through holes provided therefor, and cane-like pushing and controlling sticks to which adjacent ends of said cables are operatively connectable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 887,812 5/1908 Johnson. 2,219,905 10/1940 Prickman 28087.01 X 2,350,062 5/1944 Mosier 28087.01 2,738,542 3/1956 Clark. 2,782,045 2/1957 Hulbert 28079.1 X 2,921,784 1/1960 Miller.

FOREIGN PATENTS 554,951 3/ 1923 France. 657,253 v l/ 1929 France.

LEO FRIAGLIA,P'ri mary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING A RIGID PLATFORM HAVING GENERALLY FLAT PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES AND HAVING FORWARD AND REARWARD CORNER PORTIONS, A PAIR OF CASTERS SWIVELLY MOUNTED ON THE UNDERNEATH SIDE ADJACENT THE FORWARD CORNER PORTIONS, AND A COMPLEMENTAL PAIR OF CASTERS SWIVELLY MOUNTED ON THE REARWARD CORNER PORTIONS, RIGID MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY AND OPTIONALLY JOINING THE REARWARD CASTERS TO EACH OTHER WHEN IT IS DESIRED TO PREVENT SWIVELLING THEREOF, ADDITIONAL MEANS CONNECTING THE FORWARD CASTERS TO EACH OTHER AND SERVING TO SWIVEL THE SAME SIMULTANEOUSLY, SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS COMPRISING A TIE ROD HAVING ADAPTER BRACKETS AT ITS ENDS DETACHABLY BOLTED TO AXLE PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED CASTERS, AND A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE CABLES PASSING AT END PORTIONS THROUGH HOLES PROVIDED THEREFOR IN SAID PLATFORM AND HAVING FREE END PORTIONS CONNECTED TO LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF SAID TIE ROD. 